Zee Media Bureau
New Delhi: Pakistan on Friday handed over a captured BSF jawan to India at a border crossing point in Jammu sector, after he was swept away into their territory by strong currents of Chenab river, officials said.
BSF jawan Satyasheel Yadav, was handed over to his battalion commander Varesh Singh today evening by the commanders of the Pakistan Rangers at the zero line at Octroi border post along the International Border (IB) in RS Pura sector of Jammu districtin the Jammu sector.
He is in good health, a senior BSF officer said, adding that he has been taken for debriefing.
"Yadav was handed over to us at 4.18 PM near border pillar 918 along the International Border in Jammu and Kashmir. The trooper is well and he is being taken to our nearby border post where the BSF DG and other force commanders would meet him," he added, PTI reported.
Yadav, who was dressed in his dark green combat fatigue, walked into the Indian soil flanked by his seniors.
BSF chief DK Pathak has flown in from Delhi especially for the handover event.
On Wednesday, he was captured by Pakistani troops after he was swept away by strong currents in the Chenab river into Pakistani territory.
Hours before his release, Yadav had addressed a press conference in Sialkot in Pakistan saying that he was made to feel 'comfortable' by Pakistani Rangers, who had rescued him from the Chenab river.
“I have not faced any problem in Pakistan,” the BSF trooper had said, flanked by Rangers' officials.
"They took my introduction. They helped me to the extent they could. They kept me better than what I had thought. I have no complaints. I am happy," the 30-year-old jawan had said.
Yadav had earlier told reporters that his boat accidentally strayed into Pakistan after it went out of control in strong river currents.
"My colleagues swam out but I did not know swimming. The boat took me into Pakistani territory. I jumped into water near a Pakistan post and was rescued by jawans of Pakistan Rangers," he had said while narrating the events leading to his capture.
Yadav, who was part of a water patrol party of the BSF in Akhnoor area of the international border, was swept away in the river after their motorboat developed a mechanical fault on Wednesday.
The trooper was carried by the river current to Bajwaat village in Sialkot area of Pakistan.
On Thursday, India raised diplomatically both in New Delhi and Islamabad the issue of the expeditious release of the BSF constable.
With agency inputs
First Published: Friday, August 8, 2014, 17:42
